Modular information handling system with automated display removal

ABSTRACT

A portable information handling system modular hybrid architecture separates components between rotationally coupled housing portions to minimize cabling, connectors and materials, and to provide improved durability that supports recycling and reuse of the components. For example, a plurality of display configurations couple to housing portions of different dimensions with opposing couplers and a common keystone element that, when installed, prevents separation of the opposing couplers. Removal of the keystone element provides ready access to the housing portion interior to recycle processing components, such as a main board having a processor and memory.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is related to the application entitled “InformationHandling System Disposition Automated Using System Metrics,” naming JohnTrevor Morrison, Jace W. Files, and Andrew P. Tosh as inventors, filedthe same day as the present application, application serialnumber______, attorney docket number DC-126536.01, which application isincorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “ModularInformation Handling System with Automated Housing Cover Removal,”naming Jace W. Files, John Trevor Morrison, and Andrew P. Tosh asinventors, filed the same day as the present application, applicationserial number______, attorney docket number DC-126537.01, whichapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “InformationHandling System Main Board Disposition Automated Using PerformanceMetrics,” naming John Trevor Morrison, Jace W. Files, and Andrew P. Toshas inventors, filed the same day as the present application, applicationserial number , attorney docket number DC-126539.01, which applicationis incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “ModularInformation Handling System High Voltage Main Board Power Supply,”naming Jace W. Files, John Trevor Morrison, and Andrew P. Tosh asinventors, filed the same day as the present application, applicationserial number______, attorney docket number DC-126540.01, whichapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “ModularInformation Handling System and Subscription Deployment Thereof,” namingJace W. Files, John Trevor Morrison, and Andrew P. Tosh as inventors,filed the same day as the present application, application serialnumber______, attorney docket number DC-126541.01, which application isincorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “ModularInformation Handling System Component Connections,” naming John TrevorMorrison, Jace W. Files, and Michiel Sebastiaan Emanuel Petrus Knoppertas inventors, filed the same day as the present application, applicationserial number______, attorney docket number DC-126552.01, whichapplication is incorporated herein by reference.

This application is related to the application entitled “InformationHandling System Battery Disposition Automated Using PerformanceMetrics,” naming John Trevor Morrison, Jace W. Files, and MichielSebastiaan Emanuel Petrus Knoppert as inventors, filed the same day asthe present application, application serial number ______, attorneydocket number DC-126555.01, which application is incorporated herein byreference.

This application is related to the application entitled “InformationHandling System Display Backplane Vapor Chamber,” naming Jace W. Files,John Trevor Morrison, and Travis C. North as inventors, filed the sameday as the present application, application serial number______,attorney docket number DC-126278.01, which application is incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates in general to the field of informationhandling systems, and more particularly to a modular informationhandling system with automated display cover removal.

Description of the Related Art

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individualsand businesses seek additional ways to process and store information.One option available to users is information handling systems. Aninformation handling system generally processes, compiles, stores,and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or otherpurposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of theinformation. Because technology and information handling needs andrequirements vary between different users or applications, informationhandling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled,how the information is handled, how much information is processed,stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the informationmay be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in informationhandling systems allow for information handling systems to be general orconfigured for a specific user or specific use such as financialtransaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage,or global communications. In addition, information handling systems mayinclude a variety of hardware and software components that may beconfigured to process, store, and communicate information and mayinclude one or more computer systems, data storage systems, andnetworking systems.

Information handling system manufacture tends to involve a large numberof different kinds of materials and industrial processes. A typicalinformation handling system includes hundreds of electronic componentsthat often include metals and materials that are manufactured with asubstantial environmental impact. As an example, metals found in aninformation handling system include copper used in conductive wires,iron used in steel and stainless steel frames, aluminum used in housingsand heat sinks, precious metals like silver and gold used ascorrosive-resistant conductors, and rare earth metals used in magneticcomponents. Battery manufacture often involves the use of lithium,cobalt and nickel. Although manufacturers understand the environmentalimpact of using these materials, often no alternatives exist. To helpreduce the environmental impact of information handling systemmanufacture and use, manufacturers attempt to encourage recycling ofinformation handling systems after their useful life is complete. Theseefforts have had some success with major components, such as batteries,however, smaller components are difficult to recycle in an efficientmanner.

Portable information handling systems integrate processing components, adisplay and a power source in a portable housing to support mobileoperations. Portable information handling systems allow end users tocarry a system between meetings, during travel, and between home andoffice locations so that an end user has access to processingcapabilities while mobile. Tablet configurations typically expose atouchscreen display on a planar housing that both outputs information asvisual images and accepts inputs as touches. Convertible configurationstypically include multiple separate housing portions that couple to eachother so that the system converts between closed and open positions. Forexample, a main housing portion integrates processing components and akeyboard and rotationally couples with hinges to a lid housing portionthat integrates a display. In a clamshell configuration, the lid housingportion rotates approximately ninety degrees to a raised position abovethe main housing portion so that an end user can type inputs whileviewing the display. After usage, convertible information handlingsystems rotate the lid housing portion over the main housing portion toprotect the keyboard and display, thus reducing the system footprint forimproved storage and mobility.

Portable information handling systems tend to present significantdifficulties with respect to recycling and reuse of components. Enduser’s prefer to have portable information handling systems that arelight weight and compact so that mobile use is convenient. The drivetowards minimal weight and thickness often results in designs ofinternal components to have minimal footprint so that disassembly of thesystem at recycling tends to be difficult and time consuming. To makeeffective use of available housing space the designs will often involvespecialized components that are difficult to reuse and recycle, such asmotherboards and thermal management systems configured to fit intospecific portions of a portable housing. In addition, portableinformation handling systems have a wide variety of usage models thathave different impacts on system life and reliability. For instance,some users who travel often tend to operate their systems on batteriesand to rely on integrated input/output devices, such as keyboards anddisplays. Travel tends to subject information handling systems togreater risk of damage from contaminants that have a less predictableimpact on system life. In contrast, other users who travel less may docktheir portable information handling systems and rely on peripheral inputdevices and peripheral displays so that integrated input/output deviceshave relatively little use. These different usage models are difficultto consider at system design since each portable information handlingsystem generally has to have components that are robust enough to handleworse case scenarios for a minimum lifespan.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, a need has arisen for a system and method which acceleratesthe circular economy for information handling systems by automatingreuse, refurbishment and recycling of information handling systemcomponents.

In accordance with the present invention, a system and method areprovided which substantially reduce the disadvantages and problemsassociated with previous methods and systems for reuse, refurbishmentand recycling of information handling systems and their components.Information handling system reuse, refurbishment and recycling areautomated with a modular component architecture that enhancesefficiencies of tracking component useful life for improved distributionof information handling systems to a user population. Components aretracked during operation, tested at return from an end user and assignedfor refurbishment in information handling systems to target theperformance and useful life needs of end users.

More specifically, a modular component architecture is used to buildinformation handling systems so that components are assembled anddisassembled in an automated manner that encourages a circular economy.In the example embodiment, a portable information handling system isbuilt in a portable housing around a main board that defines processingcapability, such as with a central processing unit (CPU), memory (RAM)and graphics processing unit (GPU), and around a secondary board thatdefines support functions, such as power management, thermal management,input device management and external ports. The main board couples tosnap coupling devices in a lid housing portion and the secondary boardcouples to snap coupling devices in a main housing portion so thatassembly and disassembly can be automated with pressure applied tocouple and release the boards. A display couples over the main board andintegrates a vapor chamber that thermally interfaces with the CPU todistribute and reject excess thermal energy. The display interfaces withthe main board by a contact interface, such as pogo pins and contactpads or connectors aligned at the side of the main board and a side of atiming controller board. A housing cover with an integrated keyboard andtouchpad couples over the secondary board and interfaces through acontact interface, such as opposing pogo pins and contact pads, with anembedded controller to manage keyboard inputs. The main board andsecondary boards interface with a single cable that passes through ahinge rotationally coupling the lid and main housing portions. Assemblyand disassembly of the main and secondary boards in the housing with thedisplay and housing cover coupled in place may be performed in acompletely automated manner by locking the display and keyboard in placewith a keystone element that couples to the housing.

Information handling system components are tracked as inventory basedupon status of use, including new, in use, reused, refurbished andrecycled. Operational systems have component useful life tracked basedupon end user interactions. For example, display use, keyboard use,battery use, hinge use and other component use is monitored at eachinformation handling system and reported to a subscription manager sothat information handling systems distributed to operational users maybe returned based upon component useful life remaining. At a returncenter the components are harvested with automated disassembly andbinned for reuse based upon useable life remaining determined fromtracking performed during operations and automated evaluations availablefor some components at the return center. For components that haveuseable life remaining, refurbishment in rebuilt information handlingsystems is guided by usage patterns of end users who will receive therefurbished systems. For example, batteries and integrated input deviceshaving less useable life remaining may be directed towards users withusage patterns that indicate docked or less-mobile use. Similarly, mainboards are directed to end users based upon detected performance metricsso that end users who receive a refurbished information handling systemwill have appropriate processing capabilities for the end user’ssubscription and expected use.

The present invention provides a number of important technicaladvantages. One example of an important technical advantage is that amodular information handling system design optimizes component reuse,refurbishment and recycling for a reduced carbon footprint associatedwith information handling system manufacture and use. The modulararchitecture and tracking of component use accelerates the circulareconomy, reduces emissions and makes recycling and reuse easier andautomated while having minimal if any impact on end user experiences.Indeed, end users have information handling systems assigned to meetdefined usage patterns and manufactured at a reduced cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention may be better understood, and its numerousobjects, features and advantages made apparent to those skilled in theart by referencing the accompanying drawings. The use of the samereference number throughout the several figures designates a like orsimilar element.

FIG. 1 depicts a block diagram of a system for managing informationhandling system manufacture with new, used, refurbished and recycledcomponents to fulfill subscriber information processing needs;

FIG. 2 depicts a flow diagram of a process for managing distribution ofinformation handling systems having new, reused and refurbishedcomponents;

FIG. 3 depicts a flow diagram of a process for selecting informationhandling system components for reuse and refurbishment;

FIG. 4 depicts a block diagram of an example of a portable informationhandling system interfaced with a subscription manager that managescomponent reuse and refurbishment;

FIG. 5 depicts a flow diagram of a process for use of system performancemetrics to automate main board disposition;

FIG. 6 depicts a flow diagram of a process for tracking and applyingkeyboard and touchpad usage information to assign keyboards andtouchpads for refurbishment;

FIG. 7 depicts a flow diagram of a process for assigning keyboards forreuse in refurbished information handling systems;

FIG. 8 depicts a flow diagram of a process for tracking and applyingbattery usage information to assign a battery for reuse orrefurbishment;

FIG. 9 depicts an exploded perspective view of one example embodiment ofa modular hybrid portable information handling system architecture thatsupports recycling and refurbishment of interchangeable components;

FIG. 10 depicts an upper perspective view of an information handlingsystem with the display and housing cover removed illustrates an exampleof interchangeable components that support component reuse,refurbishment and recycling in a subscription population;

FIG. 11 depicts a circuit block diagram of an example embodiment of amodular hybrid portable information handling system architecture thatsupports recycling and refurbishment of interchangeable components;

FIG. 12 depicts a detailed perspective view of an example of contactconnectors of a secondary board that support modular informationhandling system assembly;

FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C depict a vapor chamber integrated in a displaybackplate that provides thermal management for processing components ofa main board;

FIG. 14 depicts a side sectional view of an example of a vapor chamberthat integrates with a display backplate;

FIG. 15 depicts an example of dimensions used in a vapor chamberintegrated in a display backplate;

FIG. 16 depicts a circuit block diagram of a system for transfer ofpower from a secondary board to a primary board across a hinge;

FIG. 17 depicts a table of divider ratios for use with a switchedcapacitor voltage regulator to manage high voltage transfer to a mainboard;

FIG. 18 depicts the divider ratios graphically for the battery nativevoltage over a battery discharge;

FIG. 19 depicts a flow diagram of a process for use of battery metricsto automate battery disposition of an information handling system;

FIGS. 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D depict an example embodiment of aninformation handling system having an automated and tool-less housingcover removal;

FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21C depict an example embodiment of an informationhandling system having an automated and tool-less display removal;

FIG. 22 depicts a flow diagram of a process for use of keyboard andtouchpad metrics to automate housing cover disposition;

FIG. 23 depicts a perspective view of an example hinge having a torqueengine;

FIG. 24 depicts an example of torque generation associated with theexample hinge;

FIG. 25 depicts a block diagram of a system for tracking hinge use at aninformation handling system;

FIG. 26 depicts a block diagram of a system for tracking OLED displaymetrics to automate display disposition;

FIGS. 27A and 27B depict a graph that illustrates OLED display metricstracked over time;

FIGS. 28A and 28B depict a flow diagram that tracks OLED display metricsto automate display disposition; and

FIGS. 29A, 29B and 29C depict a speaker configuration for modularassembly in an information handling system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Information handling system re-use, refurbishment and recycling promotefull use of component life cycles for more efficient resource use andfulfillment of subscriber information processing needs. For purposes ofthis disclosure, an information handling system may include anyinstrumentality or aggregate of instrumentalities operable to compute,classify, process, transmit, receive, retrieve, originate, switch,store, display, manifest, detect, record, reproduce, handle, or utilizeany form of information, intelligence, or data for business, scientific,control, or other purposes. For example, an information handling systemmay be a personal computer, a network storage device, or any othersuitable device and may vary in size, shape, performance, functionality,and price. The information handling system may include random accessmemory (RAM), one or more processing resources such as a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or hardware or software control logic, ROM, and/orother types of nonvolatile memory. Additional components of theinformation handling system may include one or more disk drives, one ormore network ports for communicating with external devices as well asvarious input and output (I/O) devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, anda video display. The information handling system may also include one ormore buses operable to transmit communications between the varioushardware components.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , a block diagram depicts a system for managinginformation handling system manufacture with new, used, refurbished andrecycled components to fulfill subscriber information processing needs.Plural information handling systems 10 are distributed to pluralsubscribers of an information handling system subscriber population 12with a usage tracker 14 that tracks use of the information handlingsystems 10 and their components to manage component re-use,refurbishment, and recycling through a return center 16 and manufacturecenter 18 as described in detail herein. Subscribers may includeenterprises and individuals who receive information handling systems 10on a subscription basis with a defined set of performancecharacteristics that are maintained over time by a manufacturer ofinformation handling systems 10, such as with swaps of deployedinformation handling systems 10 by new or refurbished systems as neededto maintain the subscribed performance characteristics. A subscriptioncan define the performance characteristics in component absoluteperformance terms, such as processing per second or memory capacitycapability, component relative performance capability, such as inpercentage terms of a maximum capability of available components, ortask capability, such as the ability to perform office processing,computer assisted drawing, graphics presentation or similar tasks. Usagetracker 14 provides insight to component life remaining andsubscriber-specific component wear so that components achieve a fulleconomic life cycle while subscribers have information handling systemsaligned to meet their processing needs. As is described in greater depthbelow, information handling systems 10 enhance circular use ofcomponents by functional group assembly with interchangeable structuresso that automated tracking, breakdown, refurbishment and reassemblyreduces costs and maintains subscribers at their agreed subscriptionperformance.

The system provides a process to analyze an information handlingsystem’s components, and determine which components should be reused,refurbished or recycled. For instance, artificial intelligenceinterfaced with usage trackers 14 and receiving analysis of componentsin returned systems predicts component usable life remaining and theefficacy of redeployment of components by comparing performance metricsof the components against performance characteristics of subscribers.Deployed information handling systems in an operational environmentbecome part of an inventory of components that artificial intelligencecan efficiently redistribute so that all components wear through ausable life while offering a subscriber level of system reliability. Asan initial matter, for each information handling system 10 componentsare tracked and parameters for each component are analyzed while in theoperational field or upon return to return center 16 to determine if thecomponent has reached an end of life and/or to determine the amount oflife remaining for the components. Once each component’s remaininguseful life is predicted, a returned information handling system 10 isdisassembled to a state that allows removal of worn components andreplacement with updated components having performance metrics that willmeet a set of one or more subscription performance characteristics. Arefurbished information handling system is returned to an appropriatesubscriber end user, such as one having performance characteristics thatmatch the performance metrics of the system, and separated componentsare directed to a location for reuse, refurbishment or recycling. Basedupon usage associated with different end users, particular systems withuser-appropriate levels of usable life can be directed so that a systemhas a balanced component profile that uses all components available lifein an efficient manner.

In the example embodiment, a return center 16 includes a robotic arm 18that automatically identifies returned information handling systems 10,such as with an optical or wireless code, breaks the system down todefined components and places the defined components in appropriateinventory groups based upon performance metrics gleaned from usageinformation of usage tracker 14. For instance, based upon an amount ofusage or tracked performance, components are sorted into a recycle group20 that has reached their useful life but have valuable materials; acompost group 22 that does not have recyclable value, a refurbish group24 that has remaining useful life with some cost effective refurbishmenton the component; and a reuse group 26 that has operational useful liferemaining with direct assembly to a rebuilt information handling system.The assignment of components to particular groups is supported with asubscription manager 34 that applies artificial intelligence to usageinformation communicated by usage trackers 14 through a network, such asthe Internet to a cloud network location. Subscription manager 34 is forinstance a distributed application with instructions stored innon-transitory memory and executed on network resources, such as serverinformation handling systems.

An inventory tracker 36 executes instructions that track deployedcomponents, such as those in operational use by information handlingsystem subscribers 12, separated components, such as those separatedfrom deployed information handling systems that were broken down byreturn center 16, and new components not yet used in an informationhandling system build. By treating deployed information handling systemsas part of the component inventory, inventory tracker 36 aids inscheduling the distribution of replacement information handling systemto the subscription population so that subscribed performancecharacteristics are maintained. For example, replacements for deployedinformation handling systems may be shipped in part so thatpredetermined components will be returned for reuse. For instance, aninformation handling system deployed to a subscriber may be usedprimarily in a docked configuration so that the integrated display andkeyboard of the information handling system has minimal use while theend user relies heavily on a graphics processing unit to drive externaldisplays. Sending a replacement system to harvest the keyboard andintegrated display for use in a refurbished system helps to use theuseful life of those components more effectively while the end userreceives a replacement with enhanced graphics processing and anintegrated display and keyboard having less useful life remaining.Further, treating deployed components as part of an active inventoryhelps to balance overall costs and system availability in the event ofvariance in the availability of components. As an example, flash storageof solid state drives may have wide variances in usage from subscriberto subscriber so that subscription system changes can achieve moreeffective distribution of flash memory life cycles and provide balancein information retrieval speeds based on end user usage patterns withrespect to information storage and retrieval.

A subscriber tracker 38 receives subscriber information handling systemsusage data from usage trackers 14 and applies component usage to definesubscriber usage patterns that define how each subscriber wearscomponents of the information handling system 10 used by the subscriber.Over time, performance metrics of information handling systems 10 andtheir components tend to decrease with wear and eventually fall belowthe performance characteristics assigned to the subscriber. Subscribertracker 38 compares the performance metrics determined from usageinformation with assigned performance characteristics to ensure that theend user subscriber has an information handling system 10 withsufficient capabilities and to schedule a replacement informationhandling system for shipment to the subscriber so that a system withsufficient performance metrics will arrive and replace the subscriber’sexisting system before failure or substandard performance. In additionto managing hardware component life cycle and performance forsubscribers, subscriber tracker 38 manages software configurations anddata storage so that replacement information handling systems 10 arriveproperly configured and ready to run the subscriber’s applications withthe subscriber’s information. For instance, secure cloud storage of enduser information is flashed to an SSD of a replacement informationhandling system along with all appropriate licenses, permissions andconfigurations so that the replacement information handling systempowers up ready to run with minimal disruption to the end user.

A configurator 40 applies the inventory information and subscriberinformation to configure replacement information handling systems toreplace deployed subscriber information handling systems 10 so thatperformance characteristics are maintained by component performancemetrics. In the example embodiment, a manufacture center 19 interfaceswith configurator 40 to build replacement information handling systemswith new components 28, reused components 30 and refurbished components32. An automated robotic arm 18 builds information handling systems fromstandardized components selected based upon the component performancemetrics and to meet subscriber performance characteristics. In part,component selection is guided by results of a benchmark tracker 42 thattracks performance metrics by monitoring how components perform inoperational conditions and after separation from a returned informationhandling system. For example, a main board having a central processingunit and memory is automatically interfaced with a tester to evaluateactual computational characteristics so that configurator 40 can selectmain boards to include in builds that align with subscriber performancecharacteristics. Configurator 40 selects new, reused and refurbishedcomponents to target not only subscriber performance characteristics,but also efficient use of a complete component life cycle.

Referring now to FIG. 2 , a flow diagram depicts a process for managingdistribution of information handling systems having new, reused andrefurbished components. The process starts at step 44 by trackinginformation handling system subscribers who have subscribed to have aninformation handling system provided of a defined set of one or moreperformance characteristics. Subscribers may be added at step 46 andremoved at step 48 over time, and various levels of subscription levelsmay be provided, such as based on desired performance or enterprisegroups of desired sizes, and changed over time. At step 50, informationhandling systems are operationally deployed to subscriber end usersbased upon the subscriber performance characteristics and theperformance metrics of available components. At step 52, component usageand performance metrics are tracked at the information handling systems,such as with a usage tracker stored in non-transitory memory andexecuted on a processing resource, such as the central processing unitor a trusted processor module that maintains system specific usage insecure memory. The usage tracking focuses on component usage at anassembly module level with an emphasis on determining component usefullife remaining. For instance, the components may be broken down into adefined set of categories that are separated out at a return center andused as a basis for building refurbished systems: a main board havingmain processing capabilities; a secondary board having supportcapabilities; a battery; audiovisual capabilities like speakers andcameras; an integrated display; an integrated keyboard and/or touchpad;and hinges. In alternative embodiments, alternative component breakdownsmay be used, and more discrete usage tracking may be used to aid inselecting recycled discrete components to support more involvedcomponent rebuilding efforts.

At step 54, subscriber usage patterns are tracked to associate usagepatterns with subscribers at a component category level. Subscriberusage pattern tracking helps to determine when a deployed informationhandling system will reach performance metrics or failure risk that isless than the subscribers assigned performance characteristics. In thismanner, replacement information handling systems are distributedproactively to achieve subscriber end user expectations for performanceand reliability. In addition, tracking subscriber usage patterns aids indistribution of information handling systems to subscribers withcomponent useful life remaining aligned with subscriber usage patterns.Component selection is provided for the subscriber so that refurbishedcomponents with less useable life can be directed towards subscriberswith usage patterns that do not rely on more worn components. Further,emphasizing component selection for subscribers that align with thesubscriber usage helps to increase the subscriber experience whilebalancing system cost by leaning on refurbished components where lessimpactful. At step 56 a determination is made based upon the componentusage and performance metrics plus the subscriber usage patterns ofwhether a system failure has occurred or imminently will occur. In suchsituations, the process continues to step 58 to send the replacementinformation handling system without delay. If a system failure has notoccurred or is not a high current risk, the process continues to step 60to determine if a system replacement should take place. For example, thedecision to replace a deployed system may include a comparison of thesubscriber performance characteristics and metrics, a comparison ofcomponent life remaining and subscriber usage patterns, and a comparisonof components installed and life cycle remaining against a need forcomponent inventory that becomes available at refurbishment of theinformation handling system. The system replacement determination isperformed with analysis by artificial intelligence or other resourcesthat define a cost effective and environmentally sensitive model. If asystem replacement is determined, the process continues to step 62 tocoordinate a system swap. If a system replacement is not determined, theprocess continues to step 44 to continue monitoring information handlingsystem component and subscriber usage patterns.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , a flow diagram depicts a process for selectinginformation handling system components for reuse and refurbishment. Theprocess starts at step 64 with determination of information handlingsystem performance metrics at deployed information handling systems.Performance metrics are tracked during normal operations on acomponent-by-component basis and may also be tested by executing aperformance metric application on the information handling system, suchas calculating a predetermined processing or graphics load. At step 66subscriber end user usage patterns are determined at deployedinformation handling systems, such as by monitoring the type andfrequency of end user interactions at an information handling system.Indications of subscriber usage patterns may include interactions atintegrated versus peripheral input/output devices, coupling to a dockingstation, operations on battery versus external power, accelerations thatindicate portable versus stationary use, housing open versus closedpositions and other usage variances that impact component wear. At step68, new, reused and/or refurbished components are selected to meetperformance characteristics of a subscriber anticipated to use arefurbished information handling system based upon the subscriber’susage patterns. The refurbishment process itself may optimize componentallocation based upon remaining life and anticipated subscriber usage byminimizing the component swap in the refurbishment process. Forinstance, a subscriber who uses the system docked and a subscriber whorelies upon mobile battery operations with integrated devices mightsimply swap the batteries and keyboards of the two systems and so thatthe mobile user has a fresh battery and keyboard while the docked userhas a keyboard and battery with less useful life that matches thesubscriber’s usage pattern or relying on peripheral devices through thedock. At step 70, the refurbished information handling system is sent tothe subscriber with the subscriber’s configuration and informationloaded. At step 72, the returned information handling systems from thesubscriber has components reused, refurbished and recycled at a returncenter. Although the example described above addresses a small sample ofsystems and components, with a larger subscriber base even small orincremental increases in the use of a component through its useful lifewill reduce costs, improve the circular economy and encourage recycling.In a broader sense, by tracking power use of older components comparedwith newer and improved components, a reduction in energy use and carbonemissions is also achieved.

Referring now to FIG. 4 , a block diagram depicts an example of aportable information handling system interfaced with subscriptionmanager that manages component reuse and refurbishment. Informationhandling system 10 processes information with processing componentsdisposed in a housing. In the example embodiments herein, the housinghas a portable convertible configuration, however, in alternativeembodiments other types of information handling systems may be used,such as tablet, desktop and server information handling systems. Mainprocessing functions are performed by components on a main board 102that includes a central processing unit (CPU) 74, random access memory(RAM) 76, and graphics processing unit (GPU) 78 on a printed circuitboard (PCB) having a standardized size and shape to interchangeablycouple to different-sized housings. For example, the processor andmemory of main board 102 execute an operating system and applicationsthat cooperate to process information for presentation by the graphicsprocessor. Secondary processing functions are performed by a secondaryboard 108 that includes an embedded controller 104 to manage systempower, thermals and input/output device interactions; and a charger 106that exchanges power with a battery to charge and discharge current incooperation with the availability of external power. Other componentsincluded in information handling system 10 are a solid state drive (SSD)80 that provides persistent storage, a display 82 that presents visualimages, a hinge 84 that rotationally couples housing portions to rotatea housing between open and closed positions, a battery 86 that chargesand discharges power, and a keyboard 110 that integrates in the housingto accept end user key inputs. Information handling system 10 stores ausage tracker 14 that tracks component usage and a benchmark application115 in a non-transitory memory, such as SSD 80 on flash of embeddedcontroller 104. Component usage data and benchmark analysis data arereported to the subscription manager as described above, but may also bestored locally in persistent memory for retrieval at the return centerafter separation of the component from the information handling system.For example, keyboard 110 includes a counter that counts key inputs totrack keyboard usable life and stores the count in flash memory 112 sothat the count is available after separation of keyboard 110 from theinformation handling system.

Inventory tracker 36 interfaces with information handling system 10 totrack the components of information handling system as part of thecomponent inventory available for refurbishment. For example, componentsin deployed information handling systems are tracked as a deployedinventory separate from new components 28 that have not been used,reused components 30 that have been used and are available without arework, and refurbished components 32 that have been used and reworkedfor reuse. The inventory is further tracked based upon useable life asreflected by usage detected by usage tracker 14. The useable life ofreused components 30 is derived from the historical usage and also basedupon benchmark application benchmark results that indicate performancemetrics available from the components. Subscriber tracker 38 interfaceswith usage tracker 14 and applies component usage information to deriveusage patterns 88 of end user subscribers associated with the subscriberperformance characteristics 90. Usage patterns are derived from analysisof component usage and offer predictive value regarding future use of aninformation handling system by a subscriber. Predictions of futurecomponent use compared against component useful life offers insight asto when an information handling system will wear to a point at whichreplacement of the system should be proactively initiated. Further,subscriber usage patterns 88 are suggestive of components used byconfigurator 40 when building a replacement information handling systemfor the subscriber. For instance, configurator 40 includes subscriberanticipated use logic 92 that predicts how the subscriber will wearcomponents in the future and subscriber holding time logic 94 thatcompares performance characteristics of the subscriber againstperformance metrics of an information handling system to predict whenthe system will be outdated for the subscriber due to declining systemperformance and/or improving replacement system performance related tocomponent performance enhancements. Based upon component useful lifelogic 96 and component performance metric logic 98 a build order 100 isapplied for the subscriber’s replacement system. Configurator 40 is, forexample, artificial intelligence logic that weighs a variety ofconsiderations to define information handling system replacements thatoptimize end user experiences while driving down system costs andenhancing component full life cycles.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , a flow diagram depicts a process for use ofsystem performance metrics to automate main board disposition. Theprocess starts at step 114 by tracking main board performance metricswhile deployed in an operational state to subscribers. In the field,main board performance metrics may be tracked by analyzing normaloperational functions, such as performance of processing functions indefined time periods and failures that result in system resets orreboots. As an example, memory faults may result in slower processingand more resets that are collected as part of normal system diagnostics.In addition, benchmarking applications may execute periodically in thefield to determine main board performance against a known processingtask or load. At step 116, when a main board arrives at a return centerand is separated from the information handling system, a benchmark ofthe main board can be performed on a tester that interfaces through themain board connectors. Benchmarking on a tester provides a hardcomparison executing a set workload against benchmarked devices in astandardized set of conditions. Using the operational performancemetrics and/or return center benchmark test, CPU and memory performancecompares against benchmarked performance for each type of main board toprovide an equivalent main board rating that defines specifiedperformance for reuse in a refurbished information handling system.

Some examples of benchmarked performance metrics are depicted in step118 and include single thread benchmarking, multi-thread benchmarking,thermal performance and power/battery life performance. Additionalbenchmark metrics may be derived from mathematical calculations, threedimensional rendering, timed enterprise workflow tasks like running wordprocessing or CAD applications, video encoding, memory bandwidth, andstorage bandwidth. Once the benchmark metrics are determined, at step120 the main board is assigned a rating that corresponds to subscriptionperformance characteristics, such as a rating of millions ofinstructions per second, GB per second to perform defined tasks likeencryption and compression, render time for three dimensional graphics,framerate for video and clock speed. At step 122, the performancecharacteristics are aligned with subscriber performance levels and usagepatterns to assign the main board to a bin for use in a refurbishedsystem. As an example, a three year old Intel i9 processor could have anequivalent performance of a currently shipping i5 processor. Using eachprocessor’s empirical performance data a determination is made of asubscription level for the main board or, in the case of suboptimalperformance, a recycling of the main board. In some instances, parts ofthe main board may be recycled and used in a refurbished main board,such as where bad memory metrics isolate memory as a failure source fora main board with a processor and other components operating normally.Using performance metrics to assign a score to each main board andapplying the score with artificial intelligence optimization allowsperformance to be more effectively allocated based upon end user usagepatterns. For example, a gaming system might receive a main board withhigher three dimensional rendering and framerate scores while anenterprise system would weigh more heavily to receive a score that ishigh business application workflow productivity tasks.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , a flow diagram depicts a process for trackingand applying keyboard and touchpad usage information to assign keyboardsand touchpads for reuse or refurbishment. In the example embodiment, akeyboard 110 and touchpad 126 integrate with a housing cover 124 thatcouples to a housing to contain processing components within thehousing. Keyboard 110 and touchpad 126 define a component unit forrefurbishment and reuse, although in alternative embodiments thekeyboard and touchpad may separate from the housing cover at a returncenter. At step 128 a counter of the keyboard tracks a number ofkeyboard touches and touchpad clicks to estimate a remaining usefullife, such as by storing the usage information in flash memory of thekeyboard. At step 130 subscriber usage detected in the field is alsoseparately reported for the keyboard, such as keyboard touches,peripheral keyboard interactions and dock usage, which can indicate thehousing remains closed over top of the keyboard. The usage data is thenapplied to define a reuse and/or refurbishment plan for the keyboard andtouchpad contiguous unit in the cover. In the example embodiment, atstep 132 a keyboard A has 70% of its useful life performed and akeyboard B has 20% of its life performed. The useful life estimate mayinclude touch inputs and various other factors that determine an overallkeyboard reuse score, such as a system used in a closed housingposition, a system used while mobile as indicated by accelerations, asystem used while docked and other factors that indicate the risk ofcontaminants entering the keyboard. Once the usable life of eachkeyboard and touchpad in each housing cover is scored, refurbishedinformation handling systems are assembled from the reused housingcovers by applying the usable life remaining against each user’s usagepatterns for keyboards. In the example embodiment, user A 136 whoprimarily uses a peripheral keyboard and has an anticipated keyboarduseable life usage of 20% for the deployment of the information handlingsystem has Keyboard A assigned; and user B 138 who primarily uses theintegrated keyboard and has an anticipated keyboard use of 90% haskeyboard B 134 assigned. Similar component reuse and refurbishmentassignments may be used for other types of components as describedbelow.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a flow diagram depicts a process for assigningkeyboards for reuse in refurbished information handling systems. Theprocess starts at step 140 by tracking the keyboard and touchpad use atthe information handling system. At step 142 the keyboard and touchpaduse is stored locally, such as in keyboard and embedded controllerflash, and at a network location, such as by communication to a cloudlocation. At step 144, the keyboard and touchpad use is associated witha subscriber to track subscriber usage patterns. At step 146, thekeyboard and touchpad are removed from a returned information handlingsystem, such as by disassembly of a housing cover that includes thekeyboard and touchpad. At removal, locally stored usage information maybe retrieved and associated with the information handling system andsubscriber. At step 148, the keyboard and touchpad remaining life scoreis associated with a subscriber usage pattern to assign the keyboard andtouchpad to a refurbished information handling system. At step 150, therefurbished information handling system is assigned to a subscriber withan anticipated keyboard use that aligns with the subscriber usagepattern and thereby the keyboard and touchpad remaining life. Theprocess provides an example for assignment of a keyboard component bybalancing useful life with subscriber needs, however, in alternativeembodiments the process may be applied to other components includingmain boards, secondary boards, batteries, SSDs etc....

Referring now to FIG. 8 , a flow diagram depicts a process for trackingand applying battery usage information to assign a battery for reuse orrefurbishment. In the example embodiment, logic executing on embeddedcontroller 104 interfaces with charger 106 and a battery management unit(BMU) 154 of battery 86 to track battery operations in the field,including the states of battery cells 152 that cooperate to generate abattery native voltage. Battery performance metrics tracked duringnormal operations include those depicted at step 156: battery chargecycles, charge rates, discharge rates, system on time, system sleeptime, temperature variations, battery swell and battery total chargecapacity. In some situations, battery performance metrics indicatebattery end of life to initiate a return of the information handlingsystem for recycling. In some instances, a failed battery cell mayindicate a return of the information handling system to refurbish thebattery by replacement of a bad battery cell. In some instances, areturned information handling system may have a battery that has usablelife remaining so that the battery can be reused in a refurbishedinformation handling system. As an example, battery use is applied atstep 158 to associate with a subscriber using the system and define abattery usage pattern for the subscriber. Subscriber use may includetime running an information handling system on battery power versusexternal power, the use of battery boost for improved performance whenon external power, and time spent in a docked or stationaryconfiguration. For a battery A and B at steps 160 and 162, differentremaining useful life is associated with subscriber A and B usagepattern anticipated battery use at steps 164 and 166 so that a more wornbattery with less life remaining is refurbished to an informationhandling system that will have less battery use while a battery that hasa greater remaining life is assigned to an information handling systemfor a subscriber who relies on the battery for a greater portion ofoperational use. As an example, a worn 8 cell battery may be assigned inthe place of a 4 cell battery for an end user who does not rely onbattery for extended periods of time but does use battery boost. Otherfactors may be applied in the assignment of the information handlingsystem to a subscriber, such as the time that the subscriber is expectedto keep that information handling system.

Referring now to FIG. 9 , an exploded perspective view depicts oneexample embodiment of a modular hybrid portable information handlingsystem architecture that supports recycling and refurbishment ofinterchangeable components. Information handling system 10 separatesinto components that interchange through shared dimensions andcommunication interfaces. The housing of information handling system 10has a main housing portion 168 that act as a base when the housing is inan open position and a lid housing portion 170 that supports a display82 in a raised viewing position when the housing is open. A coverhousing 124 includes a keyboard 110 and touchpad 126 that rests overmain housing portion 168 to accept end user inputs. An intermediatesupport 176 can provide physical support with sheet metal or areplaceable gasket at the perimeter of housing cover 124 to protectinternal components. A hinge 172 rotationally couples main housingportion 168 and lid housing portion 170 to rotate between open andclosed positions. Main board 102 couples to lid housing portion 170 andis covered by display 82 with a backplate of display 82 providing athermal sink for thermal energy of main board 102. A gasket 174 couplesaround the perimeter of lid housing portion to protect internalcomponents. Although the example embodiment depicts a portableinformation handling system, an alternative embodiment may include adesktop or other stationary information handling system configuration.Further various size housings may be used to support similar internalcomponents. For example, 15 and 17 inch diagonal dimension housingportions may share common main board and battery dimensions while havinglarger displays and keyboards.

Referring now to FIG. 10 , an upper perspective view of informationhandling system 10 with the display and housing cover 124 removedillustrates an example of interchangeable components that supportcomponent reuse, refurbishment and recycling in a subscriptionpopulation. In the example embodiment, main board 102 couples to lidhousing portion 170 with snap connectors 232 or other similarlypressure-releasable coupling device to aid in automate coupling andremoving of main board 102, such as by a robotic arm. Main board 102includes CPU 74, RAM 76 and GPU 78 to process information has aseparable and independent component. A secondary board 108 couples tomain housing portion 168, also with snap connectors or similarreleasable coupling devices, and provides support functions that supportoperation of main board 102. For example, secondary board 108 includesan embedded controller that manages power and thermals, and a charger106 that accepts external power to run the system and to charge anddischarge a battery 86. A data and power coaxial cable 186 providespower and data communication between main board 102 and secondary board108 with both power and data communicated through a single cableassembly that passes through hinge 172. Data and power coaxial cable 186terminates with a common plug on both ends that couple to a connector oneach of main board 102 and secondary board 108. In the exampleembodiment only one cable carries power and data between the lid andmain housing portion so that assembly and disassembly of the main andsecondary boards is readily performed with a tool-less approach.

In main housing portion 168, battery 86, speakers 182 and the keyboardof housing cover 124 also assemble in a modular fashion the tool-lessrelease at disassembly that promotes robotic manipulation. Keyboard pogopin pads 184 disposed on the bottom surface of housing cover 124 andinterfaced with the keyboard aligns with a keyboard pogo pin interface184 disposed at the upper side of secondary board 108 and interfacedwith embedded controller 104. When housing cover 124 couples over mainhousing portion 168, keyboard pogo pin pads 184 align with keyboard pogopin interface 184 of secondary board 108 to provide communication ofkeyboard inputs to embedded controller 104. By using a contact pin andcontact pad interface, a modular system is provided that assembles anddisassembles without tools or cable connectors that have to mate tocommunicate. Speakers 182 may communicate with secondary board 108through a similar interface or in combination with the keyboard pogo pinpads 184, such as with interface wires that run through housing cover124. Alternatively, speakers 182 may communicate with interfaces thatrun through battery 86, which communicates by a contact pad of a batteryconnector 178 aligned with a battery interface 180 integrated withsecondary board 108. Different housing dimensions and components mayinterchange by defining the location for the contacts to align withinmain housing portion 168. All components are placed in a manner thatprovides room for manipulation by a robotic arm or other automatedassembly and disassembly device. A similar approach is provide at mainboard 102 with a flexible cable 192 that interfaces with a camera andaccessories 190 and a GPU connector 188 that aligns with pogo pincontacts of a display to communicate visual information to the displaytiming controller. Alternatively, GPU 78 may communicate with a sideconnection contact as described below.

The modular hybrid component architecture separates battery, speaker,battery charger, keyboard and touchpad from the display, main board,camera and WiFi at a hinge connection with a single cable interfacingthe separate housing portions. The main board directly interfaces withthe display TCON for ready assembly and disassembly to the display tothe housing. Separating the battery charger from the main board enablesthe architecture to support higher thermal levels. A high speedThunderbolt (TBT) connection between the main board and secondary boardaggregates the majority of the signaling used between the boardsallowing for reduced cabling and, in the example embodiment, a singlecable for power and data. The separated main and secondary boards helpsto make the main board generic and leverageable across multiple systemplatform types and form factors while supporting customization at thesecondary board to support specific input/output ports, batterycharging, battery sizes, keyboard layouts and audio quality.

Referring now to FIG. 11 , a circuit block diagram depicts an exampleembodiment of a modular hybrid portable information handling systemarchitecture that supports recycling and refurbishment ofinterchangeable components. Information handling system 10 has a mainboard 102 and a secondary board 108 interfaced through a data and powercoaxial cable 186 passed through a hinge. Main board 102 includes a CPU74, RAM 76 and GPU 78 that cooperate to process information with powerprovided from secondary board 108. Display 82 directly interfaces withmain board 102 through a eDP or similar link includes a touch controller194 that communicates through a direct I2C link. In the exampleembodiment, RAM 76 couples to sockets included in main board 102,although a separate memory board and socket may be used. Camera andaccessory module 190 includes microphones 196, a camera module 198, anambient light sensor 200 and compass 202 and an accelerometer 204 thatinterface through a flexible cable with main board 102. A wirelessnetwork interface controller 206 supports wireless local area network(WLAN) and wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications for mainboard 102. A BIOS/firmware flash 212 provides firmware instructions thatmanage main board boot, such as by running on a trusted platform module214 processing resource. An intrusion switch 20 detects access to theinterior of the housing portion having main board 102 and, separately,the housing portion having secondary board 108.

Secondary board 108 supports input and output device interactions andmanages application of power to main board 102. An embedded controller104 interfaces with main board 102 through a SPI link and controlsinputs of keyboard 110, touchpad 126 and a power button 112 thatcommands application of power to the system. Embedded controller 104interfaces with charger 106 to manage charge and discharge of battery 86that interfaces the system voltage bus. A Hall sensor 216 detectsopening and closing of the housing, such as by sensing a magnet in theother housing portion and a power LED 218 illuminates when power isapplied to the system. Communication between secondary board 108 andmain board 102 is provided by a Thunderbolt link of a Thunderbolt hub224 interfaced with a bridge 210 of main board 102. For example, audioinformation is communicated through Thunderbolt hub 224 to an audiocontroller 220 for presentation at speakers 182. A USB hub 222 supportsinterfaces with external devices through Type-C ports 228 and 230 andapplication of external power from a port through a power controller226. In the example embodiment, power is communicated across the hingewith power lines of the USB and/or Thunderbolt cables. An SSD 80 couplesto a M.2 socket of secondary board 108 and interfaces with main board102 through Thunderbolt hub 224. The example embodiment provides amodular architecture that offers discrete components to reuse andrefurbish. Alternative embodiments may establish different componentsthat will provide effective and efficient reuse, refurbishment andrecycling.

Referring now to FIG. 12 , a detailed perspective view depicts anexample of contact connectors of a secondary board 108 that supportmodular information handling system assembly. In the example embodiment,snap connectors 232 integrated in the information handling systemhousing couple secondary board 108 to the housing in a tool-less mannerto release when a predetermined pressure is applied, such as in responseto a robotic arm lifting force at secondary board 108. Assembly ofsecondary board 108 is accomplished by pressing secondary board 108 intoplace to engage its perimeter with snap connectors 232. Keyboard pogopin interface 184 is exposed at the upper surface of secondary board 108and aligned to contact against keyboard contact pads exposed at thelower surface of the housing cover. In the example embodiment the pogopin contacts are biased upwards towards the housing cover keyboardcontact pads, however, other types of contact connectors may be used,such as with the biased pins in the housing cover and pads on secondaryboard 108 or with magnetic connectors. For ease of assembly anddisassembly, the contact interfaces should establish a signal interfacewith the assembly of the housing cover and without a separateinteraction to couple connectors. Battery connector 178 has a similarcontact interface function in which the assembly of the battery in thehousing next to secondar board 108 establishes the power communicationinterface by contact and without a separate cable connection step. Thatis, the mechanical assembly process of coupling a battery and housingcover in place also secures the electrical interfaces of the secondaryboard. In one embodiment described below, speaker contacts are alsoprovided by the keyboard pogo pin interface 184 with wires providedthrough the keyboard to align with the speakers when the housing covercouples in place.

Referring now to FIGS. 13A, 13B and 13C, a vapor chamber 242 integratedin a display backplate is depicted that provides thermal management forprocessing components of a main board. FIG. 13A depicts a rearperspective view of information handling system 10 having the lidportion of housing 240 removed to expose a backplate 234 of display 82.Main board 102 couples against backplate 234 to transfer thermal energyof the CPU to thermally conductive material of backplate 234 asdescribed in greater detail below. A timing controller board 236includes the timing controller and other supporting components forpresenting visual images at the display with a graphics interface 238communicating the visual information by a contact interface, such asopposing pogo pins and contact pads or an interlocking connector similarto the battery connector. Main housing portion 168 and housing cover 124assemble to have keyboard 110 available to accept typed inputs while thelid housing portion (not shown) that holds display 82 is rotated to araised viewing position. FIG. 13B depicts main board 102 lifted awayfrom backplate 234 where a thermal interface is provided to vaporchamber 242 to transfer excess thermal energy of the CPU and other mainboard components to backplate 234 for distribution to housing 240. Forexample, backplate 234 thermally interfaces with the lid housing portionof housing 240 so that excess thermal energy is distributed across thehousing and rejected to the external environment. FIG. 13C depicts afront perspective view of main board 102 and CPU 74 aligned to thermallyinterface with vapor chamber 242. The thermal interface may be enhancedby thermal grease or other thermally conductive enhancement materials.The graphics interface 238 supports modular assembly of main board 102in a similar manner to that described above with respect to thesecondary board. In addition to providing thermal transfer, vaporchamber 242 provides additional structure and support that stiffenshousing 240. For example, vapor chamber 242 is assembled into an openingformed in backplate 234 and integrated in place.

Referring now to FIG. 14 , a side sectional view depicts an example of avapor chamber that integrates with a display backplate. Vapor chamber242 includes a fluid, such as water at a reduced pressure, thattransfers thermal energy by leveraging phase change of the fluid. At aheat input surface 246 the introduction of thermal energy results inabsorption of the thermal energy with a phase change from a liquid to agaseous state. The phase change absorbs increased amounts of thermalenergy at a relatively stable temperature and then in a gaseous phasemoves toward a heat output surface 248 where the thermal energy isreleased as the fluid changes from the gaseous phase to the liquidphase. A wick 250 at the heat input surface 246 of the vapor chamberseal envelope 244 attracts the fluid in the liquid phase to promoteefficient heat transfer with movement of the fluid within the envelope.In the example information handling system the heat output surface isexposed to both the display side and housing side of the lid housingportion with the thermal energy dissipated across the surface of thehousing to provide a large surface area for thermal rejection.

Referring now to FIG. 15 , an example is presented of dimensions used ina vapor chamber integrated in a display backplate. One approach is tohave a separate vapor chamber that couples to the outer side of thedisplay backplate for an overall thickness of 6.78 mm. Another approachis to integrated the vapor chamber within an opening cut in thebackplate so that, essentially, one side of the backplate forms theenvelope of the vapor chamber for an overall thickness of 5.98 mm. The Acover, or outer surface of the lid housing portion acts as a heat sinkand thermal transfer surface that receives thermal energy from the vaporchamber at the change of phase from gaseous to liquid. A graphite orgraphene layered sheet helps to distribute the thermal energy towardsthe perimeter of the A cover and has an insulation effect that limitsdirect thermal transfer to the housing central regions to help avoid hotspots. A thermal block, such as an aluminum or copper heat sink,interfaces the CPU and vapor chamber to encourage thermal transfer. Anair gap and second graphite sheet between the vapor chamber and LCDpanel helps to insulate the LCD panel from direct heat transfer andthermal hotspots.

Referring now to FIG. 16 , a circuit block diagram depicts a system fortransfer of power from a secondary board to a primary board across ahinge 172. To provide a robust cross-hinge cable interface that isreusable in a modular information handling system architecture,efficient and space-effective power transfer is provided with a highvoltage sourced at the secondary board that is stepped down at the mainboard. In the example embodiment, power is transferred across the dataand power coaxial cable 186 at a native voltage of battery 86 and thenstepped down at the main board with a programmable X: 1 switchedcapacitor voltage regulator 252 to a system voltage of the main board. Alithium ion battery 86 will multiple cells provides a native voltage ofapproximately 48VDC, although other types of batteries may be used, suchas LiFePO batteries. The use of a high voltage and corresponding lowcurrent to transfer the current shrinks the cable requirements, such asmuch as 6X that of standard 7.4 V cabling in common use. Switchedcapacitor voltage regulator 252 steps down the native battery voltage tothe system power 256 voltage, such as approximately 8VDC, for use by themain board. As battery discharge results in reduced battery nativevoltage over time, a voltage control logic 254 switches the dividerratio to keep the system voltage within defined constraints. Forexample, with a 48V native battery voltage that has a maximum voltage ofapproximately 51.6 VDC, divider ratios of 7:1; 6:1 and 5:1 are commandedas the native voltage decreases due to discharge. The battery nativevoltage may be measured at the main board or at the secondary board andthen communicated to the main board. For instance, a BMU or chargerbattery value may be used by voltage control logic 254, which canexecute on a controller of the main board or a controller of thesecondary board, such as the embedded controller or the charger.

Referring now to FIG. 17 , a table depicts divider ratios for use with aswitched capacitor voltage regulator to manage high voltage transfer toa main board. The table indicates examples of native battery voltage asthe battery discharges versus the stepped down voltage provided by eachof the available divider ratios. The divider ratio is selected tomaintain a desired system voltage based on the native voltage and otherconditions, such as system power draw, system power state, externalpower availability and other factors. FIG. 18 depicts the divider ratiosgraphically for the battery native voltage over a battery discharge foruse in an example embodiment.

Referring now to FIG. 19 , a flow diagram depicts a process for use ofbattery metrics to automate battery disposition of an informationhandling system. Information handling systems track a wide variety ofbattery metrics when operational in the field at both a BMU andsecondary board level, such as battery charge cycles, charge rates,discharge rates, device up time, sleep time, temperature variations,battery swell and total charge capacity. When defined criteria are metfor these metrics, battery replacement is typically called for. Theprocess monitors the battery metrics to determine when batteryreplacement is called for and automates a determination of whether abattery is reused, refurbished or recycled. For instance, as describedabove, artificial intelligence that monitors a population of batterymetrics applies the sensed metrics to address the allocation of new,reused and recycled batteries in a subscription population. The processstarts at step 260 and at step 262 determines if an information handlingsystem is returned for service or dispositions, such as to swap out asubscription system. If a battery is in a system returned fordisposition, the process continues to step 266 to determine the type ofdisposition that should be taken, such as repair of the system at step270, refurbishment of the system at step 282 or recycling of the systemat step 292. If at step 262 the system is not returned for disposition,battery metrics are read remotely to determine if battery service isrequired. If battery change is called for, the process ends at step 280with the system shipped for return to then have the dispositiondetermined at step 266. If no battery service is required at step 264,the process returns to step 260 to continue periodic monitoring of thebattery.

When a system is returned for disposition, the battery metrics may beretrieved from the system directly and/or from monitored battery metricsgathered remotely and stored. If the information handling system needsother repairs at step 270, the process continues to step 272 to comparethe battery health against a replacement threshold. If the batteryhealth is below the threshold, the system continues to step 274 torecycle the battery and replace it with a refurbished or new battery. Ifthe battery health is sufficient, the process continues to step 276 tokeep the battery and step 278 to repair the system, then ends at step280 with return of the repaired system. If the system disposition is arefurbishment at step 282, the process continues to step 284 todetermine if the battery health is greater than a refurbishmentthreshold. If below that threshold, the process continues to step 286 torecycle the system battery and replace the battery in the informationhandling system with a refurbished battery. If the battery is above thethreshold, the process continues to step 288 to refurbish the batteryfor use in an information handling system, then to step 290 to build theinformation handling system for an end user, and then ends at step 280with shipment of the refurbished information handling system. If theinformation handling system is set for recycling at step 292, theprocess continues to step 294 to determine if the battery health isgreater than a threshold and, if not, to step 296 to recycle thebattery. If the battery is greater than the threshold, the processcontinues to step 298 to refurbish the battery for use in anothersystem, to step 300 to recycle the rest of the information handlingsystem and ends at step 280.

Referring now to FIGS. 20A, 20B, 20C and 20D, an example embodiment ofan information handling system is depicted having an automated andtool-less housing cover removal. To promote efficient and automatedinformation handling system reuse and refurbishment, a keystone element302 couples and releases the housing as a composite assembly to allowfor rapid and simple release of housing cover 124 from main housingportion 168. Housing cover 124 is secured to main housing portion 168 atspecific pressure points spaced along the perimeter and internal framingof main housing portion that release at application of a defined force.The defined force is prevented when keystone element 302 is secured inplace so that separation of the housing is prevented, yet readilyaccomplished after removal of keystone element 302. A standard sizedkeystone element 302 that fits to housings of different dimensionsprovides standardized interactions for automated manipulation of thehousing at manufacture and disassembly. FIG. 20A depicts keystoneelement 302 released by removal of screws 304 and lifted from housingcover 124 to release housing cover 124 in response to a predeterminedapplication of force. Screws 304 may have a level of security providedby a particular screw type that prevents removal unless a special toolis applied or may have a completely tool-less removal. FIG. 20Billustrates that a sliding and lifting force applied to housing cover124 extracts the housing cover as a unit to include the keyboard. FIG.20C illustrates an example of a coupling arrangement that coupleshousing cover 124 to main housing portion 168 against a predeterminedpressure. Opposing couplers 306 on housing cover 124 and the innerhousing perimeter of main housing portion 168 slide under each other tohold housing cover 124 in place. In the example, a slight slide and liftseparates housing cover 124 from main housing portion 168. In analternative embodiment, other types of couplers may be used, such assnaps, that release in response to a predetermined separation pressure.FIG. 20D depicts a perspective view of main housing cover 168 with arobotic arm 18 configured to grasp a secondary board 108 and release thesecondary board from snap connectors 232 that couple it to main housingportion 168. In one alternative embodiment screws 304 may insert througha rear or backside of the housing rather than front as depicted.

Referring now to FIGS. 21A, 21B and 21C, an example embodiment of aninformation handling system is depicted having an automated andtool-less display removal. Keystone element 302 operates in a similarfashion to the operation of the housing cover, providing a simplerelease of the display 82 to reuse, refurbish or recycle components ofthe information handling system. FIG. 21A depicts screws 304 removedfrom keystone element 302 so that removal of keystone element 302releases display 82 from lid housing portion 170, as depicted by FIGS.21B and 21C. In the example embodiment, couplers similar to those of thehousing cover couple display 82 to lid housing portion 170 and releaseresponsive to pressure applied to separate display 82 from lid housingportion 170. Although the example embodiment shows keystone element 302having a different shape than that used in the housing cover, in onealternative embodiment a common shaped keystone element may be used.Further, a common keystone element may fit on displays of differentdimensions with the opposing couplers of the display and lid housingportion holding the display in position and the keystone elementpreventing release by restricting display movement when the keystoneelement is coupled in place.

Referring now to FIG. 22 , a flow diagram depicts a process for use ofkeyboard and touchpad metrics to automate housing cover disposition. Atstep 308 an end user performs inputs at the keyboard and touchpad inoperational conditions. In some instances, these inputs can indicatefailures of particular key or touchpad inputs, such as where an inputerror is repeatedly detected with an identified input. At step 310mechanical inputs are tracked and counted, such as by key contactagainst a key membrane. At step 312, some input devices use touchdetection with an output indicated by haptic feedback, such as with apiezoelectric vibration. In such situations, actuation of the piezohaptic feedback indicates that input is made. At step 314 inputs arealso tracked based upon typing and scrolling behavior detected at theinformation handling system, such as inputs to a word processingapplication. Typed inputs are a convenient way of counting inputs at thekeyboard, but also over a comparison of an end user’s input devices byindicating when inputs are made through a peripheral rather than anintegrated keyboard. This information provides an indication of the enduser’s reliance on integrated versus peripheral input devices to helpdirect a replacement system to the end user with an appropriateremaining lifespan.

At step 316 mechanical inputs are tracked by a keystroke counter in thekeyboard, a touch “mileage” and click counter that counts touchinteractions and/or a touchpad active time, such as power applied at thetouchpad with the system on and housing in an open position. At step 318piezo haptic inputs are tracked with a keystroke counter, keystrokeforce, touchpad mileage and clicks, touchpad pressure and/or touchpadactive time. At step 320 typing and scrolling behavior is analyzed withlogic running on the system CPU that tracks corrections made to inputs,double or repeated keystrokes and changes in typing behavior, such asslower typing rates that indicate reduced trust in the accuracy of thekeyboard over time. As keyboard and touchpad data is tracked andrecorded in local memory, it is also communicated at step 322 to anetwork or cloud location for analysis, such as with artificialintelligence tuned to predict keyboard failures. For instance, keyboardand touchpad input data is compared against historical data to track theexpected life remaining for each keyboard and touchpad, such as withpattern matching. For instance, a match between harder press pressureand earlier failure would allow preemptive shipment of a replacementsystem to a subscriber before keyboard reliability detracts from the enduser experience. At step 324 analysis is performed to identify riskgroups of end users who may need earlier system or keyboard replacement.The expected life of the keyboard and touchpad is updated as conditionschange and analysis is performed to associate cause and effect regardingkeyboard failures to provide improved designs. In addition, wherekeyboard and touchpad expected life remains high versus other componentsthat result in a return of the system, the keyboard and touchpad may beidentified to use in a refurbished system.

Referring now to FIG. 23 , a perspective view depicts an example hinge172 having a torque engine 328. Hinge 172 couples to opposing housingportions of an information handing system housing with brackets 326 andregulates housing portion rotational orientation with torque engine 328.For example, torque engine 328 generates friction that resists rotationso that the housing portions remain in a set rotational orientationunless a sufficient force is applied to overcome the friction. In theexample embodiment, friction is generated by tightening a nut at an endof the hinge axle to compress friction washers, such as Bellvillewashers. During initial manufacture, hinge 172 is typically tuned tohave a defined torque response that tends to decrease as the hinge isused in the field. FIG. 24 depicts an example graph of torque generationassociated with the example hinge and the change in torque that resultsover time as friction wears the torque engine with open and closecycles. Hinge 172 may have a wide variance of wear over a lifetime of aninformation handling system based on the end user usage patterns. Forinstance, an end user who travels often with a portable informationhandling system may activate the hinge often, resulting in substantialwear, as compared with an end user who typically uses the portablesystem in a dock in a closed position. Although the example embodimentdepicts a single axis hinge, in alternative embodiments dual axissynchronized and sequential hinges may be used.

Referring now to FIG. 25 , a block diagram depicts a system for trackinghinge use at an information handling system. In the example embodiment,an accelerometers 204 detect accelerations at the information handlingsystem at both housing portions so that rotation of the housing portionsrelative to each other is determined. As an example, accelerometers 204are configured as gyroscopes that detect changes in the relativerotational orientation of the housing portions to determine movementbetween closed and open positions. Hall sensors 216 disposed in one orboth housing portions detect magnets in the other housing portion todetermine closed and open positions. In alternative embodiments, othersensors may be used that track hinge movement, such as an analog hingerotation tracker 330 coupled to the hinge or an e-compass AGM sensor.Embedded controller 104 executes a hinge rotation tracker retrieved fromnon-transitory memory to monitor the accelerometers and hall sensors fortracking housing portion rotation over time to track hinge wear. Thehinge rotation data is saved locally and sent to the cloud so that theinformation handling system may be replaced before hinge wear results inreduced end user satisfaction.

In one example embodiment, an e-compass AGM sensor in each housingportion tracks both housing rotational orientation and rotational speedto estimate hinge wear. With rotation movement and speed empirical data,an estimate is performed to determine when a hinge will have torque falloutside of limits to initiate recycling or refurbishment of the hinge.As an example, a hinge may restore torque by calibration of compressionof a nut against a friction washer, however the refurbishment will tendto have a shorter lifespan than the initial calibration before frictionwears the washers. Tracking hinge use after refurbishment providesestimates of hinge life adjusted for the previous wear. For example,cloud data of previous hinge use is saved to a refurbished system havingthe refurbished hinge so that both local and network storage reflectsthe hinge use. Empirical data modeled by artificial intelligenceprovides predictions of hinge life remaining and scheduling of systemreplacement before hinge performance impacts an end user. Further, enduser usage patterns can adjust how refurbished hinges are allocated toinformation handling systems so that frequent hinge users get a hingewith a greater life remaining and less frequent hinge users, such asusers who rely on docks, get hinges with less life remaining. Insituations where multiple separate hinges are used in an informationhandling system, predicted hinge life may also be used to match hingesfor use in a system so that all hinges in the system have a similarhinge life remaining.

Referring now to FIG. 26 , a block diagram depicts a system for trackingOLED display metrics to automate display disposition. In the exampleembodiment, display 82 presents visual images with organic lightemitting diode (OLED) pixels 332 having red, green and blue OLEDmaterial 334. A timing controller 336 provides current to each pixelwith a scan repeated over time so that the OLED material is excited toilluminate a desired amount of light. The organic material 334 tends todeteriorate as current is applied so that over time the amount ofcurrent applied for a given level of illumination tends to increase,which results in even more rapid OLED material deterioration. Timingcontroller 336 provides the pixel illumination information to a pixeldegradation data storage so that as the OLED material degradation takesplaces the current applied to the pixels is adjusted to maintain abalanced color output at each pixel. For instance, as shown by thegraphes of FIGS. 27A and 27B, different colored material tends todegrade at different rates with blue material in particular tending todegrade more rapidly. When OLED material degradation exceeds athreshold, such as a defined image quality and/or power use for a givenbrightness, replacement is typically called for. Pixel degradation datastorage 338 is shared with a display subscription usage data base 340,such as in the cloud, to determine when a replacement is needed so thatthe end use experience is not impacted. The pixel degradation data caninclude brightness level over time, static imagery over time, blue lightpresentation time, temperature exposure and variation across thedisplay, etc.... In addition, display use itself is tracked versuspresentation of visual images at a peripheral display or use of dockthat allows the information handling system to operate with the housingclosed and integrated display off. As is describe above, an subscriberusage pattern is applied so that the remaining life of a display basedon degradation data allocates a refurbished display to an end user whoseanticipated use matches the remaining display life.

Referring now to FIGS. 28A and 28B, a flow diagram depicts a processthat tracks OLED display metrics to automate display disposition. Theprocess starts at step 342 and at step 344 determines if the informationhandling system is returned for servicing or disposition. If not theprocess continues to step 346 to determine if display service isrequired, such as based on remote display degradation data tracking. Ifnot the process returns to step 342 to continue monitoring the displayoperational status. If display service is called for, the processcontinues to step 350 to report that display service is desired and areplacement system may be sent to the end user to have the systemreturned for refurbishment. In some instances, a display may be recalledto be used for refurbishment before too much of its useful life is gone,such as by placing the display in a system associated with an end userwho uses a dock. Once the system recall is issued the process ends atstep 368 to start again when the system arrives at a return center. Ifat step 348 the information handling system is returned, a dispositiondetermination is made of whether to repair the system at step 352,refurbish the system at step 370 or recycle the system at step 384.

If a system repair is determined at step 352, the process continues tostep 354 to determine if the OLED usage metrics stored on the systemindicate excessive optical degradation. If not, the process continues tostep 364 to reuse the OLED display panel and step 366 to repair theinformation handling system with the existing display. In an alternativeembodiment, the information handling system may have a swap of thedisplay to balance the remaining life based upon subscriber usage. If atstep 354 excessive OLED degradation is detected, the process continuesto step 356 to run an automated optical inspection test to determine theOLED degradation. The test may be performed with the OLED displayinstalled in the information handling system or separated out andinterfaced with the tester using the side connector described above. Ifat step 358 the degradation is less than a threshold, the processcontinues to step 364 to reuse the display. If the degradation exceedsthe threshold, the process continues to step 360 to replace the OLEDpanel with a refurbished OLED panel. At step 362 the artificialintelligence model is updated with the test data and displayreplacement. The process continues to step 366 to repair the informationhandling system and ends at step 368.

At step 370 refurbishment of the information handling system isinitiated by performing at step 372 the automated optical inspectiontest to determine the OLED display degradation. At step 374 adetermination is made of whether the degradation exceeds a thresholdand, if not, the process continues to step 380 to reuse the OLED displaypanel. If the OLED display degradation exceeds the threshold, theprocess continues to step 376 to replace the OLED display panel with arefurbished panel. At step 378 the artificial intelligence model isupdated to reflect the test results and at step 382 the refurbishedinformation handling system is sent to the end user and the process endsat step 382. At step 384 recycling of the information handling system isselected, such as if other components have exceeded refurbishmentconstraints, and the process continues to step 386 to run the automatedoptical inspection test to determine the OLED display panel degradation.If at step 388 the OLED display panel degradation exceeds a threshold,the process continues to step 394 to recycle the OLED display panel andto step 396 to recycle the information handling system. If the OLEDdisplay panel degradation does not exceed the threshold the processcontinues to step 390 to refurbish the OLED display panel for use in adifferent information handling system. At step 392 the artificialintelligence model is updated to reflect refurbishment, at step 396 theremainder of the information handling system is recycled and the processends at step 368.

Referring now to FIGS. 29A, 29B and 29C, a speaker configuration isdepicted for modular assembly in an information handling system. Aspeaker 182 generates audio sounds with vibrations created byapplication of an analog audio signal. For example, speaker 182 is apiezoelectric speaker that creates the audio sound by translating thevibrations to a speaker chamber 398 having desired acousticalcharacteristics. To provide a quality sound across different types ofinformation handling system platforms, speaker chamber 398 has astandardize shape and configuration to provide acoustics with a desiredchamber back volume. A speaker drive cartridge 400 has a self-sealinginterface to define the acoustic chamber in a repeatable manner thathelps to enable speaker reuse and refurbishment. FIG. 29A depictsspeaker cartridge 400 holding a piezoelectric speaker 182 that fits intoa slot defined in speaker chamber 398. FIG. 29B depicts an exploded viewof the speaker chamber 398 defined by an upper portion 402 and a lowerportion 404 with a gasket 406 disposed to seal the speaker chamber. FIG.29C depicts gasket 406 disposed between upper portion 402 and lowerportion 404 to seal the chamber with a wedge shape that biases apart topress against both sides of speaker chamber 398. Speaker cartridge 400includes pogo pin contacts at an upper surface that biases againstcontact pads of a housing cover to interface speaker 182 with thesecondary board to receive the audio signal information.

Separation of speaker cartridge 400 from speaker chamber 398 promotesmore efficient reuse, refurbishment and recycling of informationhandling systems. As an initial matter, speaker cartridge 400 andspeaker 182 isolates rare earth materials, such as magnets and goldplating, in a reusable module having a smaller size so that recycling ismore efficient when needed. A standardized speaker cartridge 400 fitsinto speaker chambers of different dimensions that can be used acrossplural platforms of plural dimensions. For instance, a 15 inchinformation handling system shares the same speaker cartridge as a 17inch information handling system while providing superior sound with alarge acoustic chamber. At reuse or refurbishment, speaker cartridgesmay be taken from any sized-platform for use in a different-sizedplatform while acoustic quality is maintained by sealing speakerchamber398 with a new seal that has minimal environmental impact.

Although the present invention has been described in detail, it shouldbe understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can bemade hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventionas defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An information handling system comprising: ahousing having first and second housing portions rotationally coupled bya hinge; a main board coupled to the housing, the main board having acentral processing unit and memory that cooperate to process informationand to generate visual information that defines visual images; at leastone secondary board coupled to the housing separate from and interfacedwith the main board, the secondary board having processing componentsthat cooperate to perform secondary functions that support main boardoperation; a housing cover having a keyboard and sized to couple overthe first housing portion, a display sized to couple over the secondhousing portion and interfaced with the processor to present the visualinformation as visual images, the display perimeter and the secondhousing portion perimeter having opposing couplers that hold the displayin place and release the display when a predetermined separation forceis applied; and a keystone element exposed at the display exterior tocouple the display to the housing, the keystone element when coupled inplace preventing release of the opposing couplers.
 2. The informationhandling system of claim 1 further comprising: opposing interfacecontacts disposed on the main board and the display to communicatevisual information; wherein the opposing interface contacts align whenthe opposing couplers hold the display to the second housing portion,the main board disposed in the second housing portion.
 3. Theinformation handling system of claim 2 wherein the display does notinclude any cables that extend into the second housing portion.
 4. Theinformation handling system of claim 2 further comprising anon-transitory memory storing display usage information and readablefrom the display when separated from the housing.
 5. The informationhandling system of claim 2 wherein the keystone element comprises aplate sized to couple over an edge of the display proximate the hinge.6. The information handling system of claim 5 further comprising screwsthat pass through openings of the keystone element to engage the secondhousing portion.
 7. The information handling system of claim 2 whereinthe main board couples to the second housing portion with snapsintegrated in the second housing portion at a perimeter of the mainboard.
 8. The information handling system of claim 2 wherein theopposing interface contacts further comprise: opposing pogo pins andcontact pads disposed on the display and the main board to communicatethe visual information between the display and the charger.
 9. Theinformation handling system of claim 1 further comprising: a secondkeystone element exposed at the housing cover to couple the housingcover to the first housing portion, the second keystone element whencoupled in place preventing release of second opposing couplers of thehousing cover and first housing portion that hold the housing cover inplace over the first housing portion.
 10. A method for manufacture of aninformation handling system, the method comprising: coupling a mainboard, a display, a battery and a secondary board selected from pluralmain board, display, battery and secondary board configurations to ahousing selected from plural housing configurations, the housing havingfirst and second housing portions rotationally coupled by a hinge;engaging the display to the second housing portion with opposingcouplers on the perimeter of the display and the second housing portion;and coupling a keystone element to the display and second housingportion to prevent release of the opposing couplers.
 11. The method ofclaim 10 further comprising: removing the keystone element from thedisplay and the second housing portion; and pulling the display apartfrom the second housing portion to remove the display from the secondhousing portion.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising: couplingthe main board to the first housing portion; and interfacing the displayand the main board with contact between interfaces of the main board andthe display.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising: trackingdisplay usage; storing the display usage in non-transitory memory of thedisplay; and reading the display usage from the display when the displayis separated from the second housing portion.
 14. The method of claim 12further comprising: coupling the main board to the second housingportion with snap couplers of the second housing portion disposed at aperimeter of the main board; and when the display is separated from thesecond housing portion, removing the main board by pulling free from thesnaps.
 15. The method of claim 12 further comprising: engaging thehousing cover to the first housing portion with opposing couplers on theperimeter of the housing cover and the first housing portion; andcoupling a second keystone element to the housing cover and the firsthousing portion to prevent release of the opposing couplers.
 16. Themethod of claim 12 wherein: the plural housing configurations compriseplural width and length dimensions; and the keystone elementinterchangeably fits to each of the housing configurations.
 17. Themethod of claim 16 wherein: the display is selected from plural displayconfigurations, each display configuration having a length and widthdimension; and the keystone element engages associated second housingportion configurations and display configurations to align the displayand main board interfaces to contact.
 18. An information handling systemcomprising: a housing having first and second housing portionsrotationally coupled by a hinge; a battery coupled to the first housingportion; a main board coupled to the second housing portion, the mainboard having a central processing unit and memory; a secondary boardcoupled to the first housing portion and having a charger to charge thebattery with external power applied to a port of the second housingportion; a battery cable coupled between the battery and the main boardacross the hinge; a display coupled to the second housing portion overthe main board by opposing couplers disposed at a perimeter of thesecond housing portion and the display, the opposing couplers releasedby a tool-less force applied to separate the second housing portion andthe display; a housing cover having a keyboard and coupled over thefirst housing portion; and a keystone element coupling the display tothe second housing portion and thereby preventing release of theopposing couplers.
 19. The information handling system of claim 18wherein the display interfaces with the main board by a direct contactand without a cable.
 20. The information handling system of claim 19wherein the keystone element comprises a plate sized to couple over anedge of the display proximate the hinge.